PRIMARY URL: https://www.safeashouses.ca/
With a gentle melody to lead the way, Safe as Houses’ tender strings forge a wicked little hook for us to cling to at the onset of their new single “Lucky Lucky,” from the album of the same name. The drums soon join them, texturizing the groove with a jazzy sway that lends its experimentalism to the otherwise black and white structure of the verses. A silky vocal entwines itself with the instrumentation, and while the lion’s share of our attention is going to the vivacious play of the band, there’s a somber-skewed radiance to the lyrics that is keeping us on the edge of our seats, awaiting whatever magic the band has in store for us around the corner.
“Lucky Lucky” isn’t as complex or multilayered as the other tracks on Safe as Houses’ all-new LP are, and to some degree it leaves some of their best talents unemployed in the creation of its melodic fabric. The percussion is primed for a lot heavier riffage than what we hear out of the guitar parts, and as we get into the chorus, the drums get a little too intense for the vocal track to remain front and center in the mix (where it arguably does the song the most justice). I can see this being more anthemic in a live setting, where the band would have virtually nothing to hold them back from really igniting the fuse that this chorus gives them. It’s not a stadium rocker, but “Lucky Lucky” has a terrific stomper of a tempo that could really get a raging crowd going mid-set.
I’m looking forward to hearing more from this band as they develop their studio technique a little further, and though I don’t think that they’re ready to break into the mainstream quite yet, they’re really close to making the cut in “Lucky Lucky.” Safe as Houses have an enigmatic handle with the material to match it, but their tonality is the very antithesis of the mundane fuzz that has become all too commonplace in their scene and abroad. Check out the record that this song can be found on in addition to the single itself; if you enjoy irreverent indie rock, you’re likely going to enjoy what you discover.
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/6l2lwxFOSWud8x6PGChvKK
Kim Muncie